If a Candidate Has Issues, Votes Must Be Recounted: Hardik Patel

Hardik Patel said that the people of Gujarat “meant well” but money power played an important role in elections.

File photo of Hardik Patel, convener of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti.

(Photo: PTI)

A day after the declaration of Gujarat results, Patidar-agitation leader Hardik Patel said that the Congress has emerged a “strong opposition” in Gujarat. However, he added how they serve people as an Opposition party will have to be seen.

He had earlier alleged that the EVMs used for Gujarat elections have been tampered with, and demanded investigation into the same.

Whatever Election Commission says cannot be the be all and end all. If a candidate says there have been issues with EVMs, the VVPAT slips must be re-counted by the Commission.

Hardik Patel, PAAS Leader on EVM Malfunction

He alleged that EVMs in Surat, Rajkot and Ahmedabad have been tampered with, and hence the “gap is very less wherever tampering happened.” Patel alleged that if ATMs can be hacked, EVMs can be hacked too.

The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti convener “congratulated” the Congress on their performance, but said that he was not sure if the votes of the people were “recorded” by the party they cast their votes for. Patel also “congratulated” BJP for “winning because of tampered EVMs”.

Japan and Israel are highly advanced countries, but they do not depend on EVMs. If ATMs can be hacked, then why not EVMs? They are very much hackable.

Hardik Patel, Patidar Leader

He further added that the people of Gujarat “meant well”, but “money and tricks” influenced the votes.

Patel claimed that an atmosphere has been created where no one can question the functioning of the voting machines. However, he also said the fact that one crore people raised their voice against BJP, “proves a lot.”

The 24-year-old added that the Patidar-agitation will continue and asserted that the Opposition must unite, and that he is even ready to go to jail for it.

I am not a representative of any party, I will continue my agitation and struggle, said Patel.

(With inputs from ANI)